Memorial burial-vault



S. DAULEY. MEMORIAL BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7.1916.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A TTOR/VEYS WIT NESSES I. S. DAULEY.

MEMORIAL BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1916.

Patented Aug. 16.

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ISAAC S."DAULEY, OF ONEONTA', NEW YORK.

MEMORIAL BURIAL-VAULT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916..

Application filed Fehruary't', 1916. Serial No. 76,702.

..of Oneonta, in the county of Otsego and State of New York, have inventeda new and improved Memorial Burial-Vault, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to burial devices and has particular reference to vaults for the safekeeping and preservation of corpses. Among the objects of the inven tlon 1s to provide a receptacle constructed m a substantial manner of reinforced concrete or other similar material at the burial site, said receptacle being so constructed as to adapt it to be erected or built at the place desired at any time" prior to the final use or occupancy of the receptacle, means being provided to protect the receptacle from damage or deterioration by the entrance of molsture or other weather influences. both before and after being filled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a burial receptacle or vault of a neat. and substantial appearance and one adapted to constitute a substantial container for one or more corpses, the same having practically every advantage of a high-priced mausoleum but adapted to be provided at a much lower cost, and such receptacle, furthermore, being adapted to have introduced therein in an easy manner any suitable form or type of burial casket.

With the foregoing, and other'ob ects in view, the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts herelnafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact. details of construction disclosed herein, still for the .and sealed, another being similarly sealed but with portions broken away to indicate the construction,-and the remaming receptacle being shown open and adapted to receive a casket; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of a vault corresponding to Fig. 1, but indicating only one of the compartments I occupied and sealed, the other two compartments being complete and awaiting future occupancy; Fig; 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through one of the compartments and indicating especially the drainagedevices and the inclination of the cover and memorial slab; Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of a slight modification of adaptation indicating a single compartment receptacle or vault plunged beneath the surface of the earth; and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional detail indicating the drains at one end of the structure.

There is a growing tendency nowra-days for men to plan for a suitable resting-place for their remains and for :their families, while living, and in my extensive experience as a successful operator in this art I have found that most men experience great satisfaction in roviding in this manner, while living, mo erate-priced neat-looking and absolutely safe and substantial receptacles for the reception of their own remains andfor those of their. loved ones. Comparatively few men can afford to erect mauso leums such as are worthy of construction, and,- moreover, since I have found many mausoleums in more or less damaged condition due to strokes of lightning or other deteriorating natural influences, and which have not been provided with means for permanent maintenance or'repair, I have designed the subject matter of this invention to meet the growing demand for a thoroughly safe, substantial and low-priced burial receptacle and one which may be erected and maintained in perfectly clean, sanitary, easily accessible condition for any number of years prior to the filling of its compartments.

While I show in the preferred forms of the invention a vault comprising three com partments, it is to be understood that any number greater or less than three may be provided without departing from the spirit of the invention, the usual practice being for a man to provide a'vault corresponding to the number of his own family. I

Referring now more particularly to the drawings I show: a vault 10 providing three compartments A, B and C, each compartment being separated fromthe others by a vertical wall or walls and adapted to be opened and closed independentl and without disturbance of the others. he vault as a whole is shown as comprising a bottom 11,

side walls 12, parallel partitions 13, and

head and foot end walls 14 and 15 respectively. Each. compartment as viewed in plan is preferably rectangular, but the side walls thereof may be either vertical or battering.

Each compartment is surrounded at or adjacent its top with a ledge or oflset formed by reducing the thickness of the walls or partitions bounding such compartment. The offset 16 of each compartment lies in a plane inclined downwardly somewhat from the head tothe foot end thereof and is provided with a drainage gutter 17 extending all the way around the same. From such gutter there extend downwardly any suitable number of drains 18, the same extending along I ceptacle I. provide a permanent cover 19' made preferably of reinforced concrete and having an upwardly arched construction. The rim or supporting edge 20 of each cover is continuous and lies in a plane corresponding to the plane of the offset, and is supported upon that portion of the offset between the gutter 17 and the extreme side walls 21 of the top portion of the compartment. -From this construction it will be apparent that any drainage water which might enter the compartment above the cover, while the compartment is awaiting Its time for occupancy, will be guided by the downwardly sloping edge portions of the cover between the rim 20 thereof and the walls of the receptacle into the gutter 17. In other words, the cover having its rim 20 fitted with substantial tightness upon the plane offset will serve ordinarily to exclude all extraneous matter especially such as dirt, dust or other solid particles from the interior of the compartment, and hence, ifany water should trickle through between the cover and the offset, it will be free to flow unobstructedly along the gutter and out through the drains.

When the construction is designed for the use of memorial slabs 22, the upwardly pro jecting walls are so built as to extend high enough for this purpose. On the other hand, if the cheaper construction is adopted, without the memorial feature, the receptacle may be built as indicated in Fig. 4:, so as to be plunged to a greater or less de th below the surface of the earth. lVhen t us built and awaiting the future use, the cover may be filled in or over with soil to any desired depth, which soil may be readily removed prior to the lifting of the cover when the receptacle is to be filled at interment.

The construction of the several compartments herein set forth adapts them to be lined with slabs of marble or other ornamental material as indicated at 23, and since the interior of each compartment is maintained in a perfectly dry, clean and sanitary condition for any length of time prior to final filling, the lining will always be kept in a neat and presentable condition. Obviously the manner of interior finish or decoration is optional to each customer, and to indicate this possibility I show some of the compartments lined and another unlined.

As above premised, each of the compartments is adapted to receive any suitable form or design of burial casket or inner vault. Considering for the moment, compartment B; if the casket is to be interred, the slab 22 will be lifted and rolled to one side, usually in the direction of the incline. The cover 19 will then be lifted by means attached to the ears or handles 24. If a marble inner cover 25 is found within, it in turn will be lifted, leaving the main interior of the compartment free and clean, into which the casket maybe lowered in the usual manner. The inner and main covers will then be replaced, as indicated in the compartment A, all portions of the main cover being above or beyond the gutter 17 extending around the rim of the main compartment. The space above the cover up to the.

extreme top of the side and end walls or par-- titions will be. filled then with concrete or its equivalent, making an absolutely watertight construction and one that in all probability will endure for all ages.- The memo 27, to secure the rim of the slab directly to.

the concrete wall construction of the vault. Any excess of moisture in the concrete 26 obviously will be received and carried away along the gutter 17 and drains 18. Each partition between adjacent compartments along its upper or exposed edge is provided preferably with a gutter 28 for drainage purposes.

While in all cases I propose to allow ample thickness of walls to assure absolute protection to the remains or contents and to prevent water or other matter entering the vault until it is finally sealed, yet I may build this vault any place desired and vary the proportions and size as circumstances may require, always attaining the same perfect results.

1. The herein described burial vault comprising a concrete construction having integral bottom, side and end Walls, there being formed a gutter surrounding the upper portion of the side and end Walls and drain age devices leading downwardly and outwardly from said gutter, and a solid arched cover for the receptacle having a rim fitted to the upper edge of the receptacle and resting thereon on the outside of said gutter.

2. In a burial vault, the combination of a main receptacle comprising integral bottom, side and end Walls, the side and end walls being offset forming a support in the same plane, there being formed a gutter extending entirely along the offset and having drainage means leading therefrom to cause any moisture received upon the offset to be carried away before entering the receptacle, and a solid cover having a downwardly projecting rim lying in a plane corresponding to the plane of the offset support and adapted to be supported upon that portion of the support on the outside of the gutter.

3. In a burial vault, the combination of a receptacle structure comprising integral bottom, side and end Walls providing a compartment adapted to receive a burial casket, said side and end Walls being offset forming a support, said olfset support being formed with a drainage tter below the extreme top of the side an end Walls to exclude all moisture or other extraneous matter from the compartment for any desired length of time prior to filling and sealing, and a cover resting upon said support outside of the gutter and spaced upwardly from the inner edge of the gutter.

ISAAC S. DAULEY.

Witnesses:

Gno. L. BEELEN, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs. 

